Organization:

Source:

Date Approved:

Undated

Disclaimer: Please note the codes in our collection might not necessarily be the most recent versions. Please contact the individual organizations or their websites to verify if a more recent or updated code of ethics is available. CSEP does not hold copyright on any of the codes of ethics in our collection. Any permission to use the codes must be sought from the individual organizations directly.

The Code of Conduct presents a vision of excellence for aviators. Its principles complement and underscore legal requirements.

The Code of Conduct is a model, not a standard. Users should customize or otherwise revise the document—including title, length, and organization—to fit their needs. See “Additional Resources” (below) for materials to help facilitate such customization.

The Code of Conduct will be most effective if users have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of flight as well as a commitment to the pursuit of professionalism.

The Code of Conduct has seven sections, each presenting Principles and Sample Recommended Practices.

Sample Recommended Practices are suggestions for applying the principles of the Code of Conduct and tailoring them to individuals and organizations. Sample Recommended Practices may be reordered, modified or eliminated to satisfy the unique capabilities and requirements of each pilot, mission, aircraft, organization, and flight environment. They are not presented in any order of importance. Instrument flight rule (IFR)-specific Sample Recommended Practices generally appear last.

The Commentary:

Commentary on selected provisions of the Code of Conduct is published at <www.secureav.com>. The Commentary provides discussion, interpretive guidance, and suggested ways to adopt the Code of Conduct. Published commentary on any provision does not imply greater importance of that provision. Additional provisions will be added as the Commentary evolves.

Benefits of the Code of Conduct:

The Code of Conduct benefits pilots and the aviation community by:

highlighting practices to support safety and professionalism among aviators,

promoting improved pilot training, airmanship, conduct, personal responsibility, and pilot contributions to the aviation community and society at large,

encouraging the development and adoption of good judgment and ethical behavior,

advancing self-regulation through the aviation community as an alternative to government regulation,

supporting improved communications between pilots, regulators, and others in the aviation industry, and

promoting aviation and making flying a more rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Note: References to the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are used as examples. In all jurisdictions, applicable laws and regulations must be followed.

Develop, use, periodically review, and refine personal checklists and personal minimums for all phases of flight. Review these materials regularly with an experienced instructor or other trusted mentor.

Recognize, accept, and plan for the costs of implementing proper safety practices.

Be aware of personal susceptibility to (and seek to avoid or manage) distraction, fatigue, stress, and hazardous attitudes.

Make personal wellness and an honest evaluation of your mental and physical fitness a precondition of each flight—for example, by using the I’M SAFE (Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion) checklist.

Establish conservative personal parameters for the use of supplemental oxygen and an awareness of your personal susceptibility to hypoxia. Consider use of a pulse oximeter. Use supplemental oxygen on flights when required by rule or any time it may be beneficial.

Implement Crew Resource Management (CRM), and Single Pilot Resource Management (SRM) techniques, or similar practices to enhance a safety culture.

Recognize the increased risks associated with flying at low altitude, in inclement weather, at night, in congested areas, over water, and over rugged, mountainous or forested terrain.

See and be seen. Practice techniques for seeing and avoiding other aircraft. Scan for traffic continuously. Do not practice maneuvers in congested airspace. Enhance your visibility through appropriate use of aircraft lights.

Listen and be heard. Monitor appropriate frequencies to remain aware of other aircraft, and accurately inform other pilots of your position and intentions.

Monitor and report. Identify safety and compliance issues, and communicate them appropriately.

Maintain a sterile cockpit for taxi, takeoff, landing, and other critical phases of flight.

File a flight plan or communicate your intended flight itinerary to ground personnel prior to departure, even when flying locally.

Refuse to fly an aircraft that is not airworthy, whether because of mechanical discrepancies, failure to meet inspection requirements, or any other reason.

Operate rental aircraft as if you owned them, and communicate all discrepancies effectively and promptly. Return aircraft in an equal or better state of cleanliness than received.

Identify and adapt to changing flight conditions based on sound principles of airmanship and risk management. Be prepared to alter your flight plan accordingly or abort your flight.

Plan every flight carefully. Calculate weight and balance, consider the effect of wind on fuel reserves and range, and consider diversion alternatives. Remain aware of deteriorating weather and other circumstances that may make continued flight unsafe.

Explanation: Pilots are responsible for the safety and comfort of their passengers. Passengers place their lives in pilots’ hands, and pilots should exercise suffi­cient care on their behalf. Such care includes, but is not limited to, disclosing unusual risks, and exercising prudent risk management. Pilot responsibility extends to people on the ground, and in other aircraft.

Sample Recommended Practices:

Keep your passengers as safe as possible, as though they were your closest loved ones.

Explanation:Training and proficiency underlie aviation safety. Recurrent training is a primary component of proficiency and should include both air and ground training. Each contributes significantly to flight safety and neither can substitute for the other. To be most effective, training must often exceed legal requirements.

Sample Recommended Practices:

Pursue a rigorous, lifelong course of aviation study.

Consider a training plan that will yield new ratings, certificates, and endorsements.

Develop and follow a training regimen that incorporates the assessment of your progress, ensures your flight instructor or mentor communicates such assessment to you, and provides opportunity for your input.

Invite constructive criticism from your fellow aviators and provide the same when asked.

d. avoid special-use airspace except when approved or necessary in an emer­gen­cy.

Explanation: Enhanced security awareness is essential to the safety and viability of the aviation community. Threats to security demand effective responses. This section addresses the pilot’s essential role in promoting national security and preventing criminal acts.

Sample Recommended Practices:

Check NOTAMS, including Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) thoroughly during preflight preparation, and obtain updates during long flights, with an emphasis on airspace restrictions.

Consider the impact of aircraft on wildlife, and conform to recommended practices (such as National Park Service minimum altitudes) when flying near wilderness and other environmentally sensitive areas.

Be aware of the noise signature of your aircraft, and follow procedures to reduce noise such as reducing engine power and/or propeller RPM, as soon as practicable after takeoff.

Install noise-reducing equipment such as quieter props and exhaust systems, if practicable.

Pilots and the aviation community may use the Code of Conduct as a resource for code of conduct development, although it is recommended that this be supported by independent research on the suitability of its principles for specific or local applications and situations. It is not intended to provide legal advice and must not be relied upon as such.

Edits, Errata, Comments

The Aviators Model Code of Conduct is a living document, intended to be updated periodically to reflect changes in aviation practices and the aviation environment. Please send your suggestions, edits, errata, questions and comments to: <PEB@secureav.com>.

Acknowledgments

The Aviators Model Code of Conduct has had the benefit of extensive editorial comment and suggestions by a diverse body of the aviation community, and beyond. See “Acknowledgments”at<http://www.secureav.com/ack.pdf>. The Permanent Editorial Board of the Code of Conduct is presented at <http://secureav.com/PEB.pdf>.